Grace and I met one sunny day in Saltaire at an exhibition in the incredible roof space of Salts Mill, kind of recognising one another from social media. I am pretty sure that early on the conversation steered towards fabric (as is often the case) and we discovered that as kids we both loved buying remnants from the mill in Burnley that sold Liberty. It’s a vague and happy memory, and my nan who I went with is no longer alive to recall the details, so it was sweet to share the experience with somebody who loved it as much as me.
Our paths have crossed many times since then as Grace is a fantastic independent business owner who sells beautiful wares via her shop Beyond Measure. I am yet to go online or visit her at a show and not leave without buying a craft based delight. Grace curates a special collection of treasures which are always well-made and celebrate craftsmanship. It is one of my favourite shops in the world.
I learned about this quilt last year, and was sad to hear that it was kept safe in a beautiful wooden chest but wasn’t in use. I really hope Grace keeps it out now because it is so lovely, and brimming with memories from her childhood and teenage years.
I wore my vintage Liberty Hera shirt to film – guessing it would probably be in the quilt somewhere and I was right.
Grace’s home sounded happily chaotic as a child where the hours were spent making stuff. I loved that too, and it makes me a bit sad to see my children are much more reliant on screens and technology. Hopefully my crafting will still make them see the value of handmade, and they might pick it up later in life. Grace certainly encourages making through her business and her genuine passion really shines through.
Grace has made two quilts in her life, but I am confident there will be more in her future and I would love to see how she puts her unique style into her future creations. I am pretty sure it will have a lot of soul, a few surprises and fabrics with a story – the perfect combination!
Have a look at Grace’s shop here
Thanks Jenni, I loved this experience and it made me take some time out to think about how and why I started making things in the first place.